Types & Cost of Dental Crowns - Six Corners Family Dental

5 Types of Dental Crowns with Costs

Main Types of Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to cover it and restore its shape and size. A crown can also be used to protect a weak tooth from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth.

There are five main types of dental crowns: porcelain, ceramic-fused-to-metal, gold alloy, zirconia, and E-Max Crowns.

The type of crown you choose will depend on the location of the damaged tooth, your budget, and other factors.

Currently, dental crowns are made from a variety of material options. Certain materials provide better cosmetic appearances than others, and some are stronger to withstand heavy forces.

1. Gold crowns 🦷

These dental crowns are usually used for the back teeth. The main advantages are durability and strength. It requires less of your natural tooth to be removed.

Gold alloy dental crowns are made from gold or a gold alloy mixed with other metals such as palladium or platinum. They are very strong, but they may not be as natural looking as porcelain crowns.

COST of Gold Dental Crowns – Range between $700-3000

Main ADVANTAGES of gold crowns:

⚡ They are strong and highly resistant

⚡ They last a long time if properly cared for

⚡ Less proportion of your natural tooth needs to be removed

⚡ They wear down quite slowly, just like natural enamel

⚡ They are ideal for posterior restorations (back teeth), especially second molars

Main DISADVANTAGES of gold crowns:

⚡ Poor aesthetics: They obviously don’t look like a natural tooth

⚡ Gold alloy crowns can affect some people and produce some side effects such as allergic reactions or swelling

2. All Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain dental crowns are made from natural tooth-colored porcelain and are the most popular type of crown.

They are strong and durable, and can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.

These are usually used on your front teeth and will provide the most natural look.

Most people will never known if its real or a crown. Zero Metal is used, so that’s nice.

COST of All Porcelain Crowns – Range between $800-2500

ADVANTAGES of Porcelain Crowns:

⚡ Porcelain or ceramic crowns provide the best and most natural look. They match your surrounding teeth in shape, size, and color.

⚡ The best option for front teeth restorations.

⚡ They are biocompatible: that means no metal is used, so they are toxic-free.

3. Porcelain Fused-to-Metal Crowns (PFM)

Ceramic-fused-to-metal dental crowns are made from a metal alloy core that is covered with porcelain.

They are strong and durable, but they may not be as natural looking as porcelain crowns.

There are a few different choices including porcelain-fused and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

COST of Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns – Range between $400-1200

The main ADVANTAGES of PFM crowns are:

🪥 They provide great aesthetics and durability

🪥 They’ve been around for over 50 years. We know they work well.
🪥 They are less costly than all porcelain crowns

However, the DISADVANTAGES of PFMs include:

🪥 The metal in these crowns may cause a grey line at the gumline.

🪥 This may not give the 100% aesthetic look that all-porcelain crowns provide.

🪥 For people who clench their teeth, this type of crown may wear down more easily against the opposing teeth.

4. Zirconia Dental Crowns

Zirconia is a relatively new material that is tooth-colored ceramic-like porcelain but with strength properties more similar to that of metal crowns.

There is no dark metallic color in zirconia, and it is extremely hard, virtually impossible to break. Their cosmetic appearance is almost as nice as all-porcelain crowns.

Zirconia crowns do, however, have the disadvantage of being less translucent than your natural teeth.

COST of Zirconia Dental Crowns – Range between $800-3000

The main ADVANTAGES of zirconia crowns are:

🪥 They provide great aesthetics

🪥 They are strong and long-lasting (less possibilities of chipping or breaking).

🪥 The process can be less time consuming because zirconia can be cut and shaped at the same dental office. There’s no need to send them over to a dental lab.

🪥 Zirconia Crowns are less likely to wear down due to their strength.
They are biocompatible: as metal free crowns, they are not likely to cause allergic reactions.